Spain’s first Bitcoin-only apartment sale goes on real estate market

A residential attic in the center of the Catalonian city in Spain became the first Spanish real estate property that has been put on the market only for Bitcoins.

Bitcoin (BTC, XBT) is a decentralised global digital currency that isn’t backed by a central bank or single administrator, in other words, it is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system which has seen a massive increase in its value in recent times.

According to Víctor Monreal, executive director of the Barcelona-based real estate company Mister Piso, which has put this residence on the market said on Wednesday Bitcoin enabled “a much speedier and effective transaction than the traditional payment method.”

In his opinion, normal payment “is managed by banks engaged in financial intermediation and subject to excessive and unnecessary regulation,” Efe reported.

The apartment that can only be purchased in Bitcoins is located in Tarragona’s central Plaza Imperial and it was its owner who decided that payment could only be made in Bitcoins.

The attic has gone on the market with a price tag of 40 Bitcoins, which at Wednesday’s BTC virtual exchange rate is the equivalent of $583,950.

In the event a potential buyer does not have Bitcoins, he will be directed to one of the numerous bitcoin exchanges operating on the internet, Monreal said.

Bitcoin transactions take place between users directly, are verified by network nodes through the use of cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a “blockchain.”

An independent verification of the “chain of ownership” of any and every Bitcoin value is achieved as each network node stores its own copy of the blockchain.

Bitcoin was invented by a person or group behind the name Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009.

Since the beginning of 2017 Bitcoin has experienced a spectacular rise in value, passing from $999 per Bitcoin in Jan. 2017 to the current but volatile, $14,633 per coin.

The director of Mister Piso said he believed there will be a growing number of consumers opting to make their daily purchases with this digital currency.

“In June 2018, Google will update the financial services policy to restrict the advertisement of contracts for difference, rolling spot forex and financial spread betting,” the search engine giant asserted.

In 2017, Google scrapped more than 3.2 billion ads that violated its advertising policies.

The search also blocked 79 million ads in its network for trying to send people to malware-laden sites and removed 400,000 of these unsafe sites last year.

In January, social media giant Facebook put a ban on all ads promoting cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and ICOs.

The new policy prohibits ads that promote financial products and services that are frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices, Facebook said in a statement.

“We want people to continue to discover and learn about new products and services through Facebook ads without fear of scams or deception.

“That said, there are many companies who are advertising binary options, ICOs and cryptocurrencies that are not currently operating in good faith,” stated Rob Leathern, Product Management Director at Facebook.

Global cues, fears of political instability dent equity indices

Mumbai, March 19: Negative Asian cues — on the prospect of higher interest rates in the US and global trade wars — pulled the key indices of the Indian equity market lower during the early morning session on Monday.

Key challenges, political will top agenda as Crans Montana Forum begins

Dakhla (Morocco), March 16 : With focus on key international challenges like urban global management, ocean economy, food and public health issues and the growing potential of Africa-Asia cooperation, the Crans Montana Forum began on Friday in this western town of Morocco.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Reverend Jesse Jackson, President and Founder of Rainbow Push Coalition, and leaders from several countries joined Jean-Paul Carteron, Honorary Chairman and Founder of the Crans Montana Forum, at the opening ceremony here.

The major focus of the Forum this year is on the Africa and South-South Cooperation.

In his address, Jesse Jackson, one of America’s foremost civil rights figures, stressed on the need to develop and mobilize political will to “end poverty, hunger, illiteracy and killer diseases in the world”.

“Humans have limited but genuine freedom through our individual decisions and our collective politics to make a positive difference in the world. If we can develop and mobilize political will, we will find constructive ways for South-South Cooperation and end the divisions of North and South, rich and poor, powerful and disenfranchised,” Jackson said.

Organized under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, a royal message from the King was read at the Forum’s opening ceremony by Yanja El Khattat, President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Region, of which Dakhla is a part.

Various speakers at the opening ceremony highlighted the crucial role being played by Morocco to be a platform of gateway to Africa and to highlight the kep challenges being faced by African and other countries.

The conference is being attended by over 3,500 delegates and leaders from various countries and 43 international organizations.

The Forum will discuss the crucial issue of urban global management in view of the increasing rural exodus and the urban planning challenges.

The Forum will also discuss extending the Silk Road to Africa and fostering Asia-Africa partnerships. It will also have sessions on women empowerment and youth empowerment and integration.